3 Chiles secos (dried) like the pasilla, ancho and mulato (shown left to right). The pasilla is used in soups and sauces.

4 Poblano (from Puebla), stuffed with cheese or meat, they are bland or spicy.

5 Serrano. The most common chile in traditional salsa. It varies from fairly mild to hot.

6 Puya. A hotter variety of the dried chile guajillo. Used in sauces, stews and with meat.

7 Jalapeño. Known as green chile or cuaresmeño. Used to make sauces, they can be very hot.

8 Chipotle. You can find this chile bottled in stores. It’s added to meat or served as an accompaniment. It’s very spicy.

9 Morita. Another smoked chile similar to the chipotle. Very hot.

10 Piquín. This is the smallest chile and one of the hottest. Fresh or dry, it’s used to make different sauces.

11 De árbol. It’s generally eaten in sauces made in the molcajete and mixed with fried garlic. It’s very hot.

12 Habanero. This chile accompanies Yucatecan food. Some examples are cochinita pibi (seasoned pork), panuchos (fried tortillas with turkey) and lime soup.